Archived from groups: comp.security.firewalls (
More info?)
"Thomas J. Carnegie" <carnegie@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news
q7kc096gv8v7vm6jagbcf4cd4ht3qaepr@4ax.com...
> I'm using SBC's EnterNet 300 for DSL with Zone Alarm Pro and Norton
> AntiVirus 2004 on a Windows 2000 system.
>
> Every time I start EnterNet 300 it connects and starts up the
> SBC/Yahoo Home page. Most of the time I don't want this connection.
> What's necessary to simply get the connection without the browser
> opening?
>
> At the same time Zone Alarm Pro notifys me that a new network is being
> set up. I dont need this message or the necessary step to acknowledge
> it. Anything I can do to get Zone Alarm to simply go ahead an let it
> work?
EnterNet 300 is what's called a Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet
(PPPoE) driver. If you were using Windows XP, you would be in luck because
WinXP has built-in PPPoE client (see
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/networking/pppoe.asp).
Unfortunately, I don't believe that Win2000 has it built-in, unless perhaps
they have incorporated it in a Service Pack.
What many people do, however, is skip the whole PPPoE software client
entirely. Instead, they use a cable/dsl firewall/router. These devices are
great because they can serve several purposes: 1) they can support home
networks so that multiple machines can use a single DSL line; 2) they
typically provide some basic firewall funtionality; 3) some can serve as a
wireless access point so that you can connect to the internet from a
wireless laptop, for example; and 4) they eliminate the need for a PPPoE
client on your computers because this functionality is built in to the
routers themselves. Depending upon exact features, you can buy these devices
anywhere from $40 to $200+. At a minimum you want to make sure they support
things like: PPPoE, NAT, and DHCP client/server. Some of the representative
vendors you will likely see in a CompUSA or Best Buy are: Linksys, Netgear,
and D-Link.
Someone may use EnterNet 300 and tell you a simple way to stop the SBC/Yahoo
browser load and the ZA Pro problem. But, in my experience, a dsl router is
typically worth the expense. Even if you are only running one PC on your DSL
line right now, you never know, you might want to add another PC or even a
wireless laptop tomorrow. Plus you often get an additional layer of
protection in the form of a basic hardware firewall.
Alec